Category Archives: Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese-American Archives

Exhibit and Lecture Featuring the Collection of the Late Miguel Corte-Real at UMass Dartmouth

What: Exhibit and Lecture featuring the collection of the late Miguel Corte-Real at UMass Dartmouth

Where: Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese-American Archives, Claire T. Carney Library

When: Friday, October 22nd, 2010 at 6:00 PM

The event is free, open to the public and includes light refreshments.

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth announces the opening of the exhibit “Miguel Corte-Real: the Man and his Collection” and a lecture entitled “The Côrte-Real Collection: a Personal and Intransmissible Experience,” organized by the Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese-American Archives in collaboration with the Claire T. Carney Library.

The event will take place on Friday, October 22nd, 2010 at 6:00 PM, in the Prince Henry Society Reading Room of the Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese-American Archives, Claire T. Carney Library.

Curated by librarian/archivist Sonia Pacheco, the exhibit features key items from the collection, such as books and archival documents.  Irene de Amaral, a PhD candidate in the Department of Portuguese at UMassD, who is using the Côrte-Real materials to research her doctoral dissertation, will speak about her experience using the collection and its importance for the field of Azorean studies in the U.S.

Born in Ponta Delgada, S. Miguel, Azores, to Luis de Figueiredo Lemos do Canto Côrte-Real and Filomena M. da Conceição, Miguel de Figueiredo Corte-Real was the youngest son in an aristocratic family.  He was raised in Santa Maria, an island which always held a special place in his heart.  In 1969, he immigrated to the United States with his wife and children and settled in New Bedford.

Unlike the majority of immigrants who arrive in the U.S. with little more than a suitcase of personal items, Miguel Corte-Real was able to bring along an extensive number of cherished family heirlooms and household items including a large number of books, manuscripts and other historical documents.  Once established in his new country, he continued to add to his existing library and archive by collecting items associated with the presence of the Portuguese in the U.S.  In 2008, he donated his personal library and archive to the Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese-American Archives asking that the collection receive the name of his father Luis de Figueiredo Côrte-Real.

Miguel Corte-Real’s library was the work of a lifetime and contains rare, and sometimes difficult to find volumes.  Considered by some to be the best private collection of Açoriana outside of the Acores, it includes fictional works by Azorean authors and about the Azores; comprehensive histories of individual islands and of the archipelago; geographical and geological studies; monographs on various topics related to the Azores; and texts that document religious and cultural practices and rituals specific to the Azores. The Archival Collection includes personal correspondence; various scrapbooks; genealogical research; and Luso-American newspapers published in the last 30 years.

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Parking is available in Lot # 13.

The entrance to the Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese-American Archives is located on the campus side of the Claire T. Carney Library.  For access during library construction, from Lot 13, enter the library basement and proceed to the first floor, exit the building, and proceed to the right to the Archives entrance.

For further information contact 508-999-8684 or email spacheco@umassd.edu.

Reflections on migration, translocal connection, identity and soccer – September 21st – Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese-American Archives

What: “Reflections on migration, translocal connection, identity and soccer: corporate/categorical forms of belonging and affective ties.”
Where:
Claire T. Carney Library – Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese-American Archives
When:
Tuesday, September 21 from 12:30 to 1:30 P.M.
~  The event is free and open to the public.  ~

Soccer Team Image

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth announces a lecture by Miguel Moniz, FCT Research Fellow at the Center for Anthropological Research in Lisbon, Portugal, organized by the Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese-American Archives.

Based on research with in-migration to Portugal and with Lusophone migrant communities in New England and the UK, Dr. Moniz looks at how soccer and other affective ties create translocal links, implicating socio-political identity categories such as ethnic group and the nation.

Miguel Moniz received a PhD in anthropology from Brown University in 2004.  In addition to numerous articles, Dr. Moniz is the author of two books– Across the Atlantic: Anglo and American travel writing about the Azores and Azores (World Bibliographical Series). Currently, he is a fellow of the Fundação para Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) with a research position at CRIA (ISCTE/IUL), a newly formed national anthropological research group, composed of anthropology units of ISCTE/IUL, the Universidade Nova, the Catolica and the Universidade do Minho. Moniz’ current research looks at the functioning of state bureaucracies on local identities (work begun with his dissertation on Azorean deportees, written while lecturing at UMassD) and burgeoning nationalism within the European Union; as well as ethnomusicological approaches to material culture and migration. He is a researcher in Lisbon-based Diasbola, a working group on the socio-cultural role of soccer in Luso-migrant communities, with institutional links in the UK, France and Germany and research projects among migrant populations in Europe, Africa and New England.

The event  is free and open to the public.   For directions to the UMass Dartmouth campus, see https://www.umassd.edu/vtour/.  Please use Parking Lot 13.

Access to the archives during library construction is by way of the library basement and first floor exit.

Portuguese-American writer Darrell Kastin (The Undiscovered Island) to speak at UMass Dartmouth, May 6, 2010

Darrell Kastin - The Undiscovered IslandWhat: Portuguese-American writer Darrell Kastin, author of The Undiscovered Island, to give a book talk followed by a concert with the singer Shawna Kastin performing lyrics composed by her father or adapted by him from Portuguese poetry
Where: Prince Henry Society Reading Room, Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese American Archives & Special Collections, Claire T. Carney Library, UMass Dartmouth
When: May 6, 2010 at 5:00 PM

~  The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.  ~

Darrell Kastin will talk about and read from his new book, The Undiscovered Island, recently published by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.   The book talk will be followed by a concert with the singer Shawna Kastin, who will perform lyrics composed by her father or adapted by him from Portuguese poetry.

According to Karen Joy Fowler, author of The Jane Austen Book Club, The Undiscovered Island is a“story of mystery and magic—magical appearances and mysterious disappearances, mysterious women and magical islands—beautifully and lyrically told.”

From the dust jacket of The Undiscovered Island, “History, legend, poetry and myth are seamlessly interwoven as the novel explores relationships between personal and cultural identity, fate and self-determination, reality and illusion. The Undiscovered Island is a lyrical evocation of a locale and a people, rendered with wonderful respect for Azorean tradition.”

Darrell Kastin was born in Los Angeles, California. His maternal ancestors came from the Azores, settling in the United States at the end of World War II. He has spent considerable time on the islands over the years, using them as a setting in many of his short stories. His short fiction has appeared in The Seattle Review, The Crescent Review, The Blue Mesa Review and elsewhere. He is currently setting to music the poetry of Luís de Camões, Fernando Pessoa, and Florbela Espanca.

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Please park in lot 13. The Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese-American Archives is located on the campus side of the Claire T. Carney Library, accessible through its own entrance.


The socioeconomic status of the Portuguese in late 19th century New Bedford – April 27, at 12:30 P.M. – FMPA Archives, Claire T. Carney Library

What: A lecture on the socioeconomic status of the Portuguese in late 19th century New Bedford by Prof. Rose Rodrigues of Fairfield University
Where: Prince Henry Society Reading Room of the Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese-American Archives, located in the Claire T. Carney Library
When: Tuesday, April 27, at 12:30 P.M.

~ The event is free and open to the public ~

The last three decades of the 19th century saw the decline of New Bedford’s whaling industry, the emergence of textile manufacturing and the onset of the first significant wave of Portuguese immigration into the U.S.

In this presentation Dr. Rodrigues explores how this group of new arrivals adapted to their new home and the changes going on around them, showing how the career and home ownership patterns of Portuguese immigrants were influenced by their pre-migration skills and values as well as the occupational opportunities and exclusionary practices they encountered in the area.   Using data collected from the U.S. Census Population Schedules, the logs of whaling voyages, ship registers and textile mill records, she maps out the intergenerational and occupational mobility trends of the New Bedford Portuguese between 1870 and 1900.

Dr. Rose P. Rodrigues is the current Chair of the Department of Sociology & Anthropology and the former Director of Women’s Studies at Fairfield University.

A Celebration of Scholarship and Research – Claire T. Carney Library Browsing Area, Monday, April 26 4-6 PM

Celebrate Scholarhip
What: A Celebration of Scholarship and Research
Where: Claire T. Carney Library Browsing Area
When: Monday, April 26 ~ 4:00 – 6:00 PM
~ Wine and Cheese reception ~

Come and celebrate!

This reception is our chance as a university community to celebrate the scholarship and research of our faculty and staff.  The scholarship and research being recognized represents the intellectual and creative work (other than books) of our faculty and staff that have been published, performed or otherwise disseminated during the period from Summer 2007 through Summer 2009.  More than 600 such items of scholarship will be recognized at this reception.  These works are representative of the inspirational and groundbreaking activity that takes place across campus. This collection of work is a constant reminder to all of us that ideas can build bridges between people, communities and cultures.

“On the Front Page: the Carnation Revolution” – an Exhibition in the Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese-American Archives

The Carnation RevolutionExhibit Inauguration: April 23, 2010 at 4:00 PM – Her Excellency the Consul of Portugal in New Bedford, Dr. Graça Fonseca, will inaugurate the exhibition.

The event is free and open to the public.

Ongoing exhibition information:

What: On the Front Page: the Carnation Revolution – an Exhibition
Where:
In the William Q. and Mary Jane MacLean Gallery of the Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese-American Archives, located in the Claire T. Carney Library
When: April through May, During the regular Archives hours  Monday – Friday, 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth announces an exhibition entitled “On the Front Page: the Carnation Revolution” organized by the Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese-American Archives, in collaboration with the Center for Portuguese Studies and Culture and the Claire T. Carney Library.

The Carnation Revolution (Revolução dos Cravos, in Portuguese), also referred to as the 25 de Abril, took place 36 years ago in Lisbon, Portugal, on April 25, 1974.  Besides ending Portugal’s forty-year dictatorship and starting a democratic form of government, the Carnation Revolution also led to the independence of Portuguese colonies in Africa and Asia.

 

 

Curated by Sónia Pacheco, the librarian archivist for the Ferreira-Mendes Archives, the exhibition documents the events surrounding the 25 de Abril through the use of historic newspapers from New Bedford and Portugal.

For directions to the UMass Dartmouth campus, see https://www.umassd.edu/vtour/.

Please use Parking Lot 13.

Voices from the Waterfront: Portrait of the New Bedford Fishing Industry – April 13th

New Bedford Fishing IndustryClaire T. Carney Library Associates Present Norwegian Lifelines

Presentation: Voices from the Waterfront: Portrait of the New Bedford Fishing Industry
When: 7:00 PM on Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Where: Claire T. Carney Library Browsing Area (1st Floor)
Cost: Free, donations welcome.

Kirsten Bendiksen, of Norwegian descent with family ties to the New Bedford scallop industry and co-author Laura Orleans, a folklorist, will present a slideshow of photographs and share excerpts from their recently released book, Voices From The Waterfront. A book signing and reception to follow. Hope to see you there!

We welcome your support. Please consider joining the Claire T. Carney Library Associates.

History Helping Science in the Quinebaug River Study – Carney Library/Faculty Senate Brown Bag Lecture – April 14th

QuinebaugTitle: History Helping Science in the Quinebaug River Study
Presenter: Dr. Neil Fennessey, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Date: Wednesday, April 14th
Time: Noon to 1 PM
Location: Library Browsing Area

A Carney Library/Faculty Senate Brown Bag Lecture

The construction of an electric power-plant in central Massachusetts worried state and federal environmental regulators. Already concerned about how the Quinebaug river might be impacted during sustained dry spells by US Army Corps of Engineers flood control dam operations, regulators and environmentalists alike felt the power plant would make things much worse for the aquatic ecosystem. A historical study of how the river was developed by the early textile industry combined with a study of how the river flows with and without dams cleared up important misunderstandings.

Contact Matt Sylvain (x8682 or msylvain@umassd.edu) for more information.

Image from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:USACE_Westville_Lake_and_Dam.jpg

The Portuguese Community of San Diego – A Book Talk and Slide Presentation – March 25 from 12:30 to 1:30 P.M.

The Portuguese Community of San DiegoWhat: A Book Talk and Slide Presentation on the Portuguese Community of San Diego by Donna Alves-Calhoun

When: Thursday, March 25, 2010 from 12:30 to 1:30 P.M.

Where: Prince Henry Society Reading Room of the Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese-American Archives, located in the Claire T. Carney Library

FREE – Open to the public.

This presentation by Donna Alves Calhoun, based on her book The Portuguese Community of San Diego, takes us back to the roots of the Portuguese settlement in the early 1900s at La Playa, on the edge of Point Loma, in the city of San Diego, California. There, immigrants from continental Portugal, the Azores and the Madeira Islands began a new life in the New World more than one hundred years ago. Along with their sea-faring traditions, they brought their unique folklore and customs.  They distinguished themselves in the fishing industry, built churches and halls, and celebrated the Feast of Holy Spirit in the streets of their new homeland.  Today, close to 20,000 persons of Portuguese heritage still call San Diego County home and many still live in Point Loma.

Author Donna Calhoun is a second-generation Portuguese born in Point Loma. Currently, she is a director at the Portuguese Historical Center in San Diego, an organization founded in 1977 for the purpose of educating people about the role of the Portuguese in the history of San Diego and preserving Portuguese culture and history.

Organized by the Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese-American Archives, in collaboration with the Center for Portuguese Studies and Culture and the Claire T. Carney Library.

For directions to the UMass Dartmouth campus, see https://www.umassd.edu/vtour/.

Parking Available in Parking Lot 13.

For more information:
Contact: Gloria de Sá, Faculty Director Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese-American Archives
Phone: 508-910-6888
Email: mdesa@umassd.edu

Exhibition of Traditional Pottery from Lagoa, São Miguel, Azores – Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese-American Archives, through March 31, 2010

Exhibition of Traditional Pottery from Lagoa, São Miguel, Azores

Currently on display in the William Q. and Mary Jane MacLean Gallery of the Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese-American Archives, through March 31, 2010.

This exhibition includes 29 pieces of pottery produced in Lagoa, on the island of São Miguel in the Azores.  Displaying a range of forms, from bowls to teapots to large urns, the pieces are characterized by a variety of surface decor styles that go from the familiar blue and white with painted designs, to a more utilitarian earthenware glazed in greens and browns.

The objects on display were provided by local Azorean-Americans in collaboration with the Associacão Mosaico Cultural e Solidária de Lagoa, Açores, EUA e Canadá.

The following provides some background on the pottery and on one of the most famous factories in Lagoa.

Louça da Lagoa by Sonia Pacheco, Archives Librarian, Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese-American Archives

While, over the years, there have been several factories in S. Miguel that produce Louça da Lagoa, it is the Vieira Factory that has withstood the test of time. Its predecessor was founded around 1860 by businessman Bernadino da Silva, who brought on board several experts in crockery.  Among these were Manuel Leite Pereira, Thomás d’Ávila Boim, and Manuel Joaquim d’Amaral.  Pereira eventually broke away from the group in 1872 and founded what is now known as the Cerâmica Vieira.

The methods and materials used today in the creation of Louça da Lagoa are the same ones that were used when Bernadino da Silva founded his factory. The process is a laborious one that involves shaping the crockery on pottery wheels, drying it, and then hand painting it. Part of what makes Louça da Lagoa so endearing and sought out by collectors is that each piece will be lovingly handled by several artisans prior to being considered ‘ready’ for the public, and no two pieces are alike: a true symbol of hand-made crockery.

The ceramics that have been produced over the years can be classified into the following categories:

  • Tin glazed crockery—considered the most important of the types of pottery produced, it is also the most common.  It includes household items as well as tiles;
  • Red clay pottery—household pieces that may be finely finished or left ‘rough,’ glazed or unglazed;
  • Red clay sculptures—pieces that may or may not be hand-painted (when the clay is cold) and may or may not be glazed;
  • Industrial ceramics —roofing tiles, decorative tiles (exterior and interior) and bricks.

The aesthetic sensibility embodied in Louça da Lagoa draws deeply from natural elements; the earthen objects molded by the artisans of Lagoa are routinely decorated with vegetable and animal motifs and scenes borrowed from or inspired by the surrounding landscape.